College football fans, mark your calendars! Week 8 is shaping up to be a blockbuster weekend, with matchups that could redefine the season. On Monday, the highly anticipated TV schedule and game times were unveiled, and let’s just say, there’s something for everyone—but here’s where it gets controversial: some of these primetime slots are bound to spark debates about which games deserve the spotlight. All times are in Eastern Time, so set your alarms accordingly!
ACC Action: Kicking off the weekend, Louisville heads to Miami (FL) on Friday, Oct 17, at 7 pm on ESPN or ESPN2. But this is the part most people miss—North Carolina’s late-night showdown at California (10:30 pm, ESPN) could be a sleeper hit. Saturday brings Georgia Tech at Duke (Noon, ESPN) and a clash between UConn and Boston College (Noon, ACC Network). Don’t sleep on SMU at Clemson (3:30 pm, ACCN) or Washington State at Virginia (6:30 pm, The CW), which might just be the underdog game of the week.
American Athletic Conference: Thursday night lights feature Tulsa at East Carolina (7:30 pm, ESPN). Saturday’s highlights include Army at Tulane (Noon, ESPNU) and Memphis at UAB (4 pm, ESPN2). But here’s the kicker: Florida Atlantic at South Florida and UTSA at North Texas have TBA times as of Oct 12—leaving fans on the edge of their seats.
Big Ten Battles: Nebraska at Minnesota (Friday, 8 pm, FOX) sets the tone, while Saturday’s Washington at Michigan (Noon, FOX) is a must-watch. Ohio State at Wisconsin (3:30 pm, CBS) is the heavyweight bout, but don’t overlook Oregon at Rutgers (6:30 pm, BTN). And this is the part most people miss—USC at Notre Dame (7:30 pm, NBC) could be the game of the year.
Big 12 Showdowns: Baylor at TCU (Noon, ESPN2) and West Virginia at UCF (1 pm, TNT/HBO Max) are early contenders for most exciting matchups. Texas Tech at Arizona State (4 pm, FOX) and Utah at BYU (8 pm, FOX) round out a stacked Saturday.
SEC Drama: LSU at Vanderbilt and Oklahoma at South Carolina (Noon or 12:45 pm, ABC/SEC Network) kick things off. But here’s where it gets controversial—Ole Miss at Georgia (3:30 pm, ABC) and Tennessee at Alabama (7:30 pm, ABC) are primetime clashes that could shift conference standings. Which game deserves the bigger audience? Let us know in the comments!
Other Conferences: From the Sun Belt’s Coastal Carolina at Appalachian State (3:30 pm, ESPN+) to the Mountain West’s Wyoming at Air Force (3:30 pm, CBSSN), there’s no shortage of action. And don’t forget the Pac-12’s Lafayette at Oregon State (10 pm, The CW)—a late-night gem.
Final Thoughts: With so many games across so many networks, Week 8 is a football fan’s dream—or nightmare, if you can’t decide what to watch. Which matchup are you most excited for? And which game do you think was unfairly buried in a lesser time slot? Sound off below—we want to hear your take!
